Giant dielectric nanoparticles as high contrast agents for electromagnetic (EM) fluids imaging in an oil reservoir

Abstract

Provide are compositions and methods for electromagnetic (EM) surveying of subsurface hydrocarbon reservoirs using a giant dielectric material as a contrast agent. An injection fluid composition for EM surveying may include an aqueous fluid and giant dielectric nanoparticles having a dielectric constant of at least 10000 in the 1 Hz to 1 MHz frequency range. EM surveying of a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoirs may be performed by introducing an injection fluid having the giant dielectric nanoparticles into the subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir and generating an image of the position of the injection fluid from a transit time of emitted EM energy that traveled through the reservoir.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of electromagnetic imaging of a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir, comprising: 
       introducing an injection fluid into the subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir, the injection fluid comprising a contrast agent comprising a plurality of giant dielectric nanoparticles, wherein the plurality of giant dielectric nanoparticles have a dielectric constant of at least 10000 at a frequency in the range of 1 hertz (Hz) to 1 megahertz (Mhz);
 emitting pulses of electromagnetic energy from a subsurface borehole to travel through the subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir; 
 determining a transit time of the emitted pulses of electromagnetic energy from a plurality of electromagnetic sensors, wherein the transit time of the emitted pulses through the injection fluid is greater than the transit time of the emitted pulses through the subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir absent the injection fluid; and 
 generating an image of a position of the injection fluid through the subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir based on the determined transit time. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of giant dielectric nanoparticles comprise nanoparticles of A-Cu3Ti4O12, wherein A is selected from the group consisting of Ce, Eu, Gd, Tb, Yb, and Bi. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of giant dielectric nanoparticles comprise nanoparticles of at least one of copper titanate (CCTO), a doped nickel oxide having a dopant selected from the group consisting of Li, Ti, Fe, and V, a doped cupric oxide having a dopant selecting from the group Ta, Ca, and Ba, barium titanate, and bismuth strontium titanate. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of giant dielectric nanoparticles comprise an amount in the range of 1 weight % of the total weight (w/w %) to 10 w/w %. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the injection fluid comprises an aqueous fluid. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein emitting pulses of electromagnetic energy from a subsurface borehole to travel through the subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir comprises emitting of electromagnetic energy from at least one transmitter positioned in the subsurface borehole. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subsurface borehole comprises a first subsurface borehole, wherein the plurality of electromagnetic sensors are positioned in a second subsurface borehole. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electromagnetic sensors are positioned on a surface. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image comprises a 2-D spatial map. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the image of the position of the injection fluid through the subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir based on the determined transit time comprises performing an inversion of the determined transit time. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , comprising forming the injection fluid by mixing an aqueous fluid with the plurality of giant dielectric nanoparticles. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , comprising identifying a subsurface feature in the subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir based on the image.